Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has opened up about the specifics of his load management plan for LeBron James.
According to the 46-year-old coach, he will take every opportunity to cut back on his superstar's minutes, with the primary objective of keeping him fresh for the long haul. Of course, winning is still the ultimate goal:
“My line of demarcation is play him as little as possible to get the win. And just try to keep a smart number in mind,” Vogel said, via Kyle Goon of the Orange Country Register. “Obviously there’s times when we’re going to go over it but I think if I can get him averaging 34 minutes I think that would probably be the ideal situation.”
At the moment, LeBron is averaging a career-low 34.7 minutes per contest. This is definitely a good thing considering the fact that the three-time NBA champ is already 34 and playing in Season 17. It is only logical for Vogel and the Lakers to properly manage The King's minutes in the regular season.
What makes this approach impressive is the fact that James has had the best start of his entire career, with L.A. currently in possession of a 24-3 record, which is tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for best in the NBA. The Lakers notched another victory on Sunday, holding off a formidable challenge from the Atlanta Hawks to emerge with the 101-96 victory.
For his part, LeBron went above his usual playing time, logging 37 minutes of play. The four-time MVP torched the Hawks for a game-high 32 points (on 12-of-21 shooting), four 3-pointers, 13 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and three blocks.
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